Afant News

AFANT Email InDepth #5

AFANT Email InDepth #5
4 March 2009

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING CONTRIBUTION TO THE RED CROSS VICTORIAN BUSHFIRE APPEAL
We used the AGM to raise money for the bushfire appeal and with our raffle, collection and other funding we raised some $1681 for the appeal. A great effort from AFANT members and another great example of the generosity of our sponsors.

Very special thanks to:
Fishing & Outdoor World
Colin and Karen Burdon of Reidy’s Lures
Rod n Rifle Katherine
Steve Compain of Arafura Bluewater Charters and Top End Tackle
Kai Hansen of Goat Island Lodge Adelaide River
BCF
Alex Julius Fishing Media

BARRA LICENCE BUY BACK AND CLOSURE OF BYNOE HARBOUR AND THE FINNISS RIVER
Fisheries Minister Kon Vatskalis advised the AGM that one of the three licences to be bought in this round is now in Government hands and negotiations are continuing for two more. Members made it clear to the Minister that delays in the buy back and closure were resulting in unacceptable increased commercial effort, particularly in the Finniss, and that urgent action was needed. The Minister agreed that the closure should be brought forward if possible and is seeking legal advice on whether he can close Bynoe and the Finniss prior to completing the buy back.

The Minister was also informed that only a closure line which extends from Charles Point to Point Blaze and run seaward of the islands south of the mouth of Bynoe will deliver the full benefits of the closure and the $1.8 – 2 million of taxpayer funding that is being spent on the buy back.

Warren de With reminded the Minister that Government had agreed to also look towards the closure of these waters to the Coastal Net Fishery as a result of the buy back of nine licences in that fishery in 2007 and pointed out that it would be crazy to close them to commercial barra netting but still allow other gill netting to continue.

We believe that the Minister will be able to move on with the proposed closures soon and it will be important for fishers to ensure that there is strong public support for the closure lines to be based on the Charles Point to Point Blaze option.

REVISED RECREATIONAL POSESSION LIMITS
Fisheries Minister Kon Vatskalis announced to the AGM that Government would move to introduce the new possession limits that have been under discussion for some time. The proposed new limits include:
• a reduction of the current possession limit for black jewfish from five to two;
• a reduction of the current possession limit for Spanish mackerel from five to two;
• the introduction of a new possession limit of 30 cherabin and/or red claw yabbies;
• the introduction of a new possession limit of three sharks of any species, including a prohibition on the take of sawfish;
• turtle excluder rings in freshwater pots and a boat limit of ten freshwater pots per vessel when two or more people are on board;
• a prohibition on the recreational take of clams.

These changes will now be subject to formal period of four weeks for public comment and it is important that you let the Minister know if you support the changes. You can email your comments to fisheries@nt.gov.au and they must be received by 30 March.

RECREATIONAL FISHING IN NT MARINE PROTECTED AREAS
Minister Kon Vatskalis made a very significant announcement at the AGM concerning the future of recreational fishing in Marine Protected Areas that are planned for NT waters. Warren de With had the following to say:
“Another challenge which could threaten our access is the development of marine protected areas by both the Commonwealth and NT Governments.

Our fishing colleagues in other states have been locked out of large areas of some of their best fishing locations often for no better reason than political pandering to green voters and the so-called conservation movement. The more radical of these groups will not be satisfied until they have virtually wiped out recreational fishing.

Their latest push is to have recreational fishing banned from the whole of the Coral Sea and to also have it banned or severely restricted in a new marine park that they want in NSW to run from Wollongong to Newcastle.
The current catch cry from these groups and the governments who are implementing their agendas is that we have to remove all human impacts in some areas in order to ensure biodiversity conversation — they will simply not ever accept that biodiversity conversation and properly regulated recreational fishing can happily coexist.

There is no reason why recreational fishing should be subject to this same type of action in the Northern Territory — our fisheries have so far been well managed, our fish stocks are healthy, our water quality is excellent, our marine biodiversity is not under threat and the vast majority of our recreational fishers are responsible in terms of their concerns for our fish and the environments they live in.

This could well emerge as a major issue in 2009 and we will all need to make our position very clear to government if it does.

We should not allow ourselves to be put in a position where unjustified access restrictions will be put in place by our own government — particularly as they gave us a further commitment to “boosting fishing infrastructure and access” in the 2008 election campaign.”

Minister Vatskalis responded as follows:
“I would like to say yes the government is prepared to close areas but the government is not prepared to have the same issues like in other states. If areas are to be closed, amateur fishermen will go fishing and I will go with them. So no marine protected areas closed off to amateur fishermen. The only intention is to close areas to the commercial sector and, for obvious reasons, for the protection of species.”

This was a very welcome response from the Minister and it is significant news. It means that we can now move on with the planning for Marine Protected Areas in the NT with some confidence.